Empire State Building, Manhattan, New York

Empire State Building and reflection, Manhattan, New York

"Patience" and "Fortitude", stone lions outside the New York Public Library

"Patience" and "Fortitude", stone lions outside the New York Public Library

Paul Manship's "Prometheus" at the Lower Plaza, Rockefeller Center, New York

Paul Manship's "Prometheus" at the Lower Plaza, Rockefeller Center, New York

Paul Manship's "Prometheus" at the Lower Plaza, Rockefeller Center, New York

Paul Manship's "Prometheus" at the Lower Plaza, Rockefeller Center, New York

Lee Lawrie "Progress", Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan, New York

Lee Lawrie "Progress", Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan, New York

Lee Lawrie's "Wisdom with Sound and Light", Rockefeller Center, New York

Lee Lawrie's "Wisdom with Sound and Light", Rockefeller Center, New York

Bas relief entitled "News" over the main entrance to the Associated Press Building, Rockefeller Center, New York

Bas relief entitled "News" over the main entrance to the Associated Press Building, Rockefeller Center, New York

Lee Lawrie "The Purpose of the International Building" or "The Story of Man" at the Rockefeller Center New York

The Rockefeller Center was once a botanic garden, owned by Columbia University and was leased in 1928 by John D. Rockefeller Junior as an ideal central home for a new opera house. He had a 24 year lease, but the project was dropped when the stock market crashed in 1929. Instead he decided to build a commercial center and in all 228 buildings were demolished to make way for 12 new buildings to be designed by Associated Architects, a group directed by Raymond Hood. This "city within a city" as Rockefeller called it, was built between 1932 and 1940..The buildings erected during this time provided jobs for 225,000 during the Great Depression. One of the first completed was the RCA building which served as the headquarters of the Radio Corporation of America. To lure tennants, all efforts were made to ensure efficient use of available floor space-assets included fast elevators, air conditioning and underground connections to the subways. By 1940 the Radio City, which became known as the Rockefeller Center, consisted of 14 buildings located around a central sunken plaza, the Lower Plaza.This was turned into New York City's first artificial outdoor skating rink on Christmas Day 1936. The rink season is mid October to mid April and is 59 feet by 122 feet and can hold up to 150 skaters at one time.It was a novelty at the time as refrigeration was a new technology.The plaza is connected to Fifth Avenue by a pedestrian street decorated with statues and flowers and is known as the Channel Gardens- so named because they separate the British Empire Building and the Maison Francaise. The gilded Prometheus stealing the sacred fire from the Greek gods to give to man, rises ahead. During the Christmas holidays, there is a large tree there, decked with 20,000 tiny lights. The Radio City Music Hall is in the Center too-with 6,000 seats it was the worlds largest theatre when it opened in 1932.

Group of bears sculpture, Central Park, Manhattan, New York

Group of bears sculpture, Central Park, Manhattan, New York

Group of bears sculpture, Central Park, Manhattan, New York

Group of bears sculpture, Central Park, Manhattan, New York

Alice in Wonderland bronze sculpture by Jose de Creeft in Central Park New York

The "Alice in Wonderland" statue is a bronze sculpted by Jose de Creeft and was unveiled in 1959. Alice is sitting on a large mushroom surrounded by Lewis Carroll characters- the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the March Hare, the Dormouse and Alice's kitten, Dinah. The Mad Hatter is said to be a caricature of George Delacorte who donated the work in memory of his wife Margarita.De Creeft included lines from Jabberwocky, Margarita's favourite poem in a granite circle around the statue. The book's drawings were originally by John Tenniel and de Creeft partly used them to model the face of Alice. This eleven foot and much clambered upon statue is situated near Conservatory Water and is beautiful. There is another statue in Central Park of Alice in Wonderland by George Frederick Richard Roth in the James Michael Levin Playground.

Alice in Wonderland bronze sculpture by Jose de Creeft in Central Park New York

The "Alice in Wonderland" statue is a bronze sculpted by Jose de Creeft and was unveiled in 1959. Alice is sitting on a large mushroom surrounded by Lewis Carroll characters- the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the March Hare, the Dormouse and Alice's kitten, Dinah. The Mad Hatter is said to be a caricature of George Delacorte who donated the work in memory of his wife Margarita.De Creeft included lines from Jabberwocky, Margarita's favourite poem in a granite circle around the statue. The book's drawings were originally by John Tenniel and de Creeft partly used them to model the face of Alice. This eleven foot and much clambered upon statue is situated near Conservatory Water and is beautiful. There is another statue in Central Park of Alice in Wonderland by George Frederick Richard Roth in the James Michael Levin Playground.

Bronze statue of Hans Christian Anderson with a bear called Bert, in Central Park, New York

A bronze statue of Hans Christian Anderson in Central Park, near Conservatory Water. He has an open book on his lap which is the story of "The Ugly Duckling" and at his feet there is a bronze duck. The statue was created by Georg Lober who was born in Chicago and was installed in the park in 1956. On summer weekends, storytellers stand there and tell folktales, including those by Hans Christian Anderson.

Bronze statue of Hans Christian Anderson in Central Park New York

A bronze statue of Hans Christian Anderson in Central Park, near Conservatory Water. He has an open book on his lap which is the story of "The Ugly Duckling" and at his feet there is a bronze duck. The statue was created by Georg Lober who was born in Chicago and was installed in the park in 1956. On summer weekends, storytellers stand there and tell folktales, including those by Hans Christian Anderson.